Louis Jordan and Billy Eckstine

Scott Johnson pens a nice tribute to these two artists on the anniversary of their births.

I told Sugarchuck, on many longwinded occasions, that I thought Louis Prima really invented rock'n'roll, not Elvis nor Jerry Lee nor Little Richard. SC would say "not Louis Prima, Louis Jordan!" and it is hard to argue.

You probably know several of his hit songs -- "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens," "Caldonia," "Let the Good Times Roll." Perhaps most striking is the sheer infectious joyousness of Jordan's music. For a taste of the good stuff, check out the thoughtfully compiled selections on the page devoted to Jordan by Chicago's WBEZ public radio. Jordan died in 1975; the music survives.

And as for Eckstine, I played "Satin Doll" on the night of our first date with the woman who became my lovely bride of 22 years. Without that tune (and "Misty") I would certainly be a lonely old bachelor.

On the web Posted by jk at July 8, 2005 12:59 PM